We just got back from a cruise with my husband and two of our children. I read and listened to a lot of tips. Today, I wanted to share 6 lies I heard about cruising that I hope will help you on your next trip!

By way of information — we sailed on a 7 day Carnival Cruise Line to the Mexican Riviera out of Long Beach, which we booked with Get Away Today because not only do they price match, they have the best rooms available of anywhere I saw. [Read More Here…]

This post will be an unboxing of my Dia & Co box in March 2019. It includes shirts, pants, skirts, and clothes I will wear to upcoming blog conferences.

Blog conferences REALLY intimidate me.

I’m not a fashionista, I don’t normally care all that much about what I wear (I like to feel “put together” — but beyond that….), so taking 3-4 days where I have to plan outfits and I will be surrounded by hundreds of influencers (many of them being those Instagram influencers you love). Anyway, it’s a lot for this curly girl.

SO, when Dia offered to send me a box for a couple of my upcoming conference I jumped at the chance!

This first box is the one I will wear to Snap. I am even speaking, so there is a bit of extra “pressure”.

Here in my video you’ll see my initial reaction to when I open the box AND me wearing the item. I hope you like this kind of video (I’d love to know what you prefer though — so tell me in the comments). Then, I’ll reivew the items and pricing for each item. Sound good?

If you’re interested more in subscription boxes — don’t miss these posts:

** Remember, you can always save 25% off the item price if you keep the whole box — that’s the number in the parantheses).

LOVE this. Not particularly fashion-forward, but it’s SO soft and great for church. Not 100% sure I’d wear it to a conference… but I love it. 🙂

Molly & Isadora Pink Ankle Pants $69 ($51.75)

Oh guys — these are SUCH a win. SUPER lightweight, fit really well (no gaping backside, which is a problem I have frequently), great length for summer. I’m a HUGE fan!

Rafaella Gold Dot Salmon Top $45 ($33.75)

Meh. I mean, it looks fine. It looks like a lot of my other shirts. Certainly in my comfort zone. I do have SOME concerns about the top. I liked how they flipped down when I got it, but now that I look at the photo those are supposed to stand up…. so, we will have to see how it stands up to washing, etc.

{insert heart eyes emjoi}

Purple Prescott Long Sleeve Cage Back Cardigan $55 ($41.25)

Yes, a bit pricey for a lightweight cardigan — but the back on this is so cool! Just something REALLY different from what I normally wear. Huge fan. I love purple. 🙂

Blue Michel Studio Twist Front Top $59 ($44.25)

This one is VERY different than what I normally wear. I have seen these knot front tops, but I hadn’t really understood them…. and this is a big win. It provides some shape while still being very comfortable. It’s made out of polyester elastane blend — which is sort of “crepe”-y — and sort of makes me feel like a grandma when I wear it.

BUT, I think it will pack super well. So that’s a win, and I love the coverage on the butt for conferences (I hate having to pull my shirt down so I don’t show some butt all the time.

I really liked it. I liked the colors, my fit and the options it gave me for my conference.

A few tips for dressing at conferences:

What to wear to a conference:

Wear layers — some rooms are freezing, and sometimes you’ll be hot when you’re moving around a lot — so having a cardigan in your bag will be a win.

Don’t go with a first-time wear. I plan to wear these clothes a couple of times before I take them to the conference so that I’m not caught by surprise by something I don’t love).

Be who YOU are. Represent who you are in those clothes, now isn’t the time for a major fashion rehaul. People know I’ll be in bright comfy clothes. I won’t be in black, structured stuff. It’s just who I am.

AND, of course — if you use a subscription box, be sure to be as thorough in your requests and needs as possible!

Stay tuned as I have another box coming for when I go to Mom 2.0. I have asked for the clothes to be a bit more fashion-forward for that, as it is a bit more “upscale”. I’m excited to see what I get.

If you want to stay in touch — be sure to let me know below. AND, check out my other fashion posts below that:

Let’s talk abut Strep Throat symptoms, how to tell if you have strep vs a sore throat. If essential oils can be helpful? Also, what to do if you have strep throat when pregnant. How LONG is strep throat contagious, can you be a carrier? Did you know that strep throat has different symptoms in children and that it can ONLY be teated by antibiotics? Yup, lots to learn about strep throat from this RN — so let’s get going!

Sore throats are the worst! Especially in kids. Their heads are so small that EVERYTHING just hurts, their eyes, their throat, their ears. It’s all connected and they’re so miserable. How do you know if it’s just your basic sore throat (which is usually just a virus or strep — where you need to see a doctor? How is a mom ever to know all of this? Also, how do you get rid of strep throat? Take a deep breath, I’m going to go over all of that!

Do I have Strep Throat (or does my child?)

My daughter woke up sick this morning. It all hurt and her throat was awfully red, with some possible white patches ( a tell-tale sign of strep). It was hard to tell because she’s so miserable, she’s unwilling to open up much (I am guessing this is sounding familiar if you’re reading this article) 🙂 [Read More Here…]